Shipley Glen Tramway is the oldest working cable tramway in Great Britain and is located near the village of Saltaire in West Yorkshire. The line was opened on the 18th of May 1895 by Sam Wilson, a local publican, showman and entrepreneur. Its purpose was intended to ease access to a number of other, now long closed, attractions at Shipley Glen, including a wooden toboggan ride and a Victorian pleasure ground and fairground which are sadly no longer in exitance, so all that remains is the tramway.
The two tram cars are linked by an endless steel cable, so as one car goes down the other goes up through the leafy wooded glen incline that is roughly 400 yards long with a maximum gradient of 1 in 7. The line was originally powered by a gas engine, but became electrically operated in 1920.
Today the tramway is run entirely by volunteers and is open in the afternoons at weekends and on bank holidays and makes for a special experience for anyone you or old visiting Shipley Glen, Salts Mill and the Airdale Valley area.
The long shoulder of heathland below Baildon Moor known as Shipley Glen has been visited for generations and was a very popular destination for the Whitsuntide Walks of the late 1800s and the first half of 20th century. Mill workers from Shipley, Bingley, Saltaire, and Keighley would enjoy the open air in their hundreds and local farms often converted a barn to a makeshift tearooms.
Today the glen is still popular with walkers and their dogs and although the Victorian pleasure ground and fairground are no more, you might be able to find the remains of Milner Field if you look hard enough and learn about the tragic tale of the cursed Yorkshire mansion that brought death and scandal to its owners.
Milner Field and the tragic tale of the cursed Yorkshire mansion blog coming soon.
A Great place that we visited for the first time this year, you can catch the tram up to the top and then walk along the glen which provides some great views.
Great article, I did not know that this tram even excited and I live not far from Shipley.
Glad you found it on here Kevin, and I’m even more pleased that you made a comment, because it helps if I get feedback from my website….I hope you get the chance to pop up there and have a look around in the near future, to widen your local horizons…Ken
There is no mention of ticket price in this blog, I understand that prices are not static, but it would be useful to provide what you paid for an adult ticket.
Louise thank you for your reply. I hope the following ticket price information helps.
Adults return/day rover £2.50 Single £1.50
Junior 5-16yrs return/day rover £1.00 Single £0.50
No concessions or student discounts
Further information in relation to the Shipley Glen tramway can be found here https://www.shipleyglentramway.co.uk